Newcastle are keen to sign Michy Batshuayi.
Newcastle manager Steve McClaren
Newcastle United are keen on signing Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi on loan, The Mirror report.
The Belgian finished the Premier League season with the best minutes per goal ratio of any player, thanks to a late season flourish.
Reduced to a bit part player at Chelsea despite a £33 million move, Newcastle would be making an excellent addition if they could land the striker.
This would not be the first time they have attempted to do so.
Former Newcastle manager Steve McClaren
The Sun reported in early 2016 that Steve McClaren identified Batshuayi as his top transfer target for the January transfer window.
McClaren reportedly believed Batshuayi was the man who could fire Newcastle out of the relegation zone.
They reported that Newcastle valued him at ‘£15 million plus’ and made a move to sign him, which was unsuccessful.
Six months later he went for more than double that figure.
Signed instead… Seydou Doumbia
Newcastle instead loaned striker Seydou Doumbia, a deal which did not pay off, with the club suffering relegation.
The Toon are back in the Premier League with Rafa Benitez now at the helm, and their chances of signing Batshuayi permanently are not great.
A loan deal seems viable, but it depends on Chelsea’s other transfer business, with questions over Diego Costa’s future, and whether they could look to sign either of Romelu Lukaku, Alvaro Morata or Moussa Dembele.
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